T

he local disaster mitigation agency has warned people living in the vicinity of Mount Sinabung to find safe places because of the danger of hot ash from recent volcanic activities.

On Thursday, Mt. Sinabung spewed ash, leaving hundreds of houses in the districts of Simpang Empat, Berastagi and Dolatrayat covered in volcanic debris.

The three districts are located far to the east of the volcano.

Mt. Sinabung also spewed hot ash the day before.

Igan Sutawidjaja, a researcher with the Volcanology and Geologic Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), said the volcano spewed hot ash 86 times on Thursday.

He predicted the volcano would spew more hot ash in the new few days, most probably to locations east of it.

“The possible direction of the hot ash can be seen from the position of the crater,” he said on Thursday.

Therefore, it is dangerous for people to undertake activities in the vicinity during a volcanic eruption, he added.

Meanwhile, Karo Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPD) official Natanael Perangin-angin said his office strengthened coordination with other institutions in anticipation of potential large-scale eruptions in the coming days.

“We have had coordination meetings with villages surrounding Mt. Sinabung to keep a distance from the ‘red zone’,” Natanael said.

He added the areas included in the danger zone are those within a 3-kilometer radius from the peak of the mountain, 7 km to the south-southeast, 6 km to the southeast-east and 4 km to the northeast.